JHALU: A small town and its communities in Uttar Pradesh, my town, JHALU;

JHALU: A small town and its communities in Uttar Pradesh, my town, JHALU; 

Here is the description of a typical small town in Uttar Pradesh and the various communities lived with peace and harmony during 1940s and 1950s. Everyone knew every other person or family in the town. People from all the communities used to work together, celebrate social events together.

JHALU in District Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh is/was a small town during 1940s with a population of about 8,000 or so.It was almost kind of a big village.

Infrastructure was very poor with no cement roads, most of the roads were either brick roads or mud roads; no drainage system; a drain for the used over water used to be in the middle of the road; no sanitation facilities; no electricity; no roads or rail roads to connect with other towns.Means of transport was only the bullock carts. Some times, we used to walk from Bijnor to Jhalu in the absence of any kind of transport.No railway Station, no Bus Station. There used to be a coal run bus from Bijnor to Chandpur, used to ply on Katchha road and we used to wait for it near Gol Baghia , sometimes for hours.Now they have good network of roads with all kinds of means of transport.
Education; Only one Government Primary School was there catering the need of neighboring villages where there were no schools at all.Gradually, later a Junior High School was also established with local efforts with very poor infrastructure. The medium of instruction was Urdu, at the fringe, Hindi. English was just to learn elementary things in Junior High School. But the teachers were dedicated and the standard of the education was very satisfactory. After Junior High School, children of well to do families who either had the connection or could afford the expenses of the education will go to other near by towns like Chandpur, Bijnor, Nehtaur, Nagina and Dhampur etc. These towns had good Intermediate Colleges. For Higher education one has to go to Moradabad, Meerut, Chanduasi , DehraDun - only a few towns had Degree Colleges. Agra University was the only University in those days which was an Examining Body for most of the colleges in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. A very few students used to go for higher education.

A very few shops to cater the essential needs of the people. The main source of shopping used to be Friday weekly market when farmers used to bring most of their produce, the vegetables, grains and the other things of daily use. This weekly market used to be very  crowdy and interesting; exciting for us to see so many things on the road. Market will start early in the morning and will last late in the evening.Local people will buy the produce brought by the farmers and farmers will buy goods of their daily use/ consumption from the local shops. I liked the seasonal fresh vegetables and fruits in the market. Cart full of water melons and melons of special quality. I especially liked the jafrani watermelon. The most interesting part of the weekly market was that you will get small things, very unique which you never get in the local shops.There were only very few things which people needed during those days.A very busy day for every one in the town.

Medical Facilities:People were normally healthy because of their own and natural way of life style; There was very limited medical facility in the town, my father was the only qualified doctor in the town and for nearby villages. Even the medical facility in District Head Quarter , Bijnor were very limited. Only a few medicines were available.

All comunitives with various castes mainly based on their profession lived in the village; MUSLIM:: Weavers/झुलाये  ( our immediate neighbors and elsewhere ), Saiyads/सैयदस  ( shiyas) , Pot makers ( Kumahar * ), Dhoone/धूने   *, Barbers/नाई , Teli/तेली * , Butchers/कसाई  ( Kasai*) , Pathans/पठान, *, Faquirs/फ़क़ीर *, washermen/धोबी * (Dhobhees), Tailors/दरजी  (Darjees *), Kunjras/कुंजड़े *, ; HINDU:: Farmers/किसान, , Mali/माली  *, Barbers/नाई  *, Brahamins/ब्राह्मिंस , Vaish/वैश , Khatri/खत्री *, Kayastha/कायस्थ *, Jatजाट *, Chowdhuries/चौधरी , Blacksmiths*, Goldsmiths/, Carpenters/बढ़ई *, Gadarias/गड़रिये *, Padkwas/पदकवास , Saini/सानी *, Kalal/*, Bhadbhuje/भड़भूजे * and Schedule castes/ शूद्र , ( charam kars/चर्मकार , Janitors )/सफाईकर्मचारी ;
* a very few families, in some cases only one family only;

Festivals; We used to celebrate a few festivals together like HOLI; Dussehra ( with Day time Ram Leela and in the night Dramas etc.); Diwali though individually celebrated but the lights in the market were very exciting event; Muharram procession was also another exciting event ; Nautanki ( swangs), magic shows, Katha ( especially Ramayan ) , Keertan were also occasional and interesting events;

All the communities lived in perfect harmony, and peace affectionately, friendly and respectfully ; Helpful to each other; very cordial and peaceful environment.

I love my village where I have grown up till 1950 and I have been visiting till my parents were there almost up to 1974. I still go whenever I get an opportunity though I feel like a stranger as no body of my time lives there and children ask my identity. My brothers also have settled elsewhere, so now it looks like that our village will be forgotten by our next generation. Of course, they have no association and attachment with it.
Things have been changing over the years with better facilities of transport, roads, electricity, education etc. connectivity with road network and telecommunication etc., I wish all the best for its development;